Esteban Ocon has confirmed that he will part ways with the Haas Formula 1 team at the conclusion of the 2026 season, a decision that has been jointly announced by both the driver and the outfit. The news broke on Wednesday morning, ending months of speculation surrounding the 30‑year‑old Frenchman's future after a two‑year stint with the Californian squad. In the same statement, Haas clarified that there is no immediate update regarding Ocon's successor, despite circulating rumors that Brazilian Ferrari academy driver Rafael Camara could be earmarked to join British youngster Oliver Bearman for the 2027 lineup. The team chose to keep the replacement discussion under wraps for the time being.
Ocon took to his personal social media channels to acknowledge the departure, writing: “My time with Haas F1 Team will come to an end at the end of the 2026 season. I leave this project with my head held high and proud of my performances in what were not always the easiest of circumstances for various reasons and factors outside of my control.” The Frenchman moved to Haas from Alpine for the 2025 season, but over the course of their two‑year partnership he has been consistently out‑paced by the 21‑year‑old Bearman.
The performance gap widened further in 2026, with Bearman finishing 13th in the Drivers’ Championship on 20 points, while Ocon ended the year 16th with just seven points. In qualifying, Bearman held a 10‑to‑4 advantage over Ocon throughout the season. Team principal Ayao Komatsu expressed gratitude for Ocon’s contributions, stating: “I’d like to thank Esteban for everything he’s contributed to the team since joining us in 2025. His professionalism and commitment have proved valuable as we continue to grow as an organisation.
Together this year we tackled the challenge of a major regulation change, where Esteban’s driving experience and inputs were significant as we’ve worked hard to develop the VF‑26 across the season.” Komatsu added that the team remains focused on extracting maximum performance from the car for the remaining eight rounds of the campaign. With only eight races left in the 2026 calendar, Ocon’s future on the grid looks uncertain.
The scarcity of available seats means he may have to settle for a reserve‑driver role in 2027, although he insists his career is far from over. “My immediate focus is the next race weekend,” he said.
“I will continue to work hard with the team, maximise every opportunity, and keep extracting every bit of performance from the car. There are still many races to go this season and, as always, I will give it my everything behind the wheel for myself and for my team. I am still motivated.
I am still hungry. This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career.” Ocon’s career has already seen a similar hiatus. After being released by Force India (later Racing Point and now Aston Martin) he spent the 2019 season as a reserve driver for Mercedes.
He returned to the grid with Renault in 2020, staying for five seasons as the team rebranded to Alpine, and achieved his sole Grand Prix victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. His highlights with Haas include a fifth‑place finish at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix—just his second race for the team—and an eighth‑place result at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2026, which stands as his best finish of the year. Looking ahead, Haas appears poised to field two Ferrari‑linked juniors for 2027. Both Bearman and the rumored replacement, Camara, are contracted to Ferrari, the power‑unit supplier for the American team.
Camara, currently 21, leads the Formula 2 championship by seven points with two rounds remaining, making him an attractive prospect for a future F1 seat. The announcement comes as Formula 1 prepares to return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix slated to take place at the Sepang International Circuit.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available through NOW, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime service. Overall, Ocon’s departure marks the end of a brief but eventful chapter at Haas.
While his results may not have matched the team’s aspirations, his experience during a period of significant regulatory overhaul proved valuable. The next steps for the French driver remain to be seen, but his determination to stay in the sport suggests that a comeback—whether as a reserve, a test driver, or perhaps a full‑time seat with another outfit—could still be on the horizon.